Mounting for spring adjusting-rods of weighing-scales.



No. 729,207.. PATENTED MAY ze. l1993.

F. MULLIGAN.'

MOUNTING PoR .SPRING ADJUSTINGRUDS 0F WEIGHING SCALES.

APPLICATION FILEDv IAB. 19, 1902.

Il .IHIIIII UNITED STATES Patented May 2c, 190s.

Pnfrienrrl OFFICE.

FRANK MULLIGAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PELOUZE SCALE .AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA- TION OE ILLINOIS.

. Mourumeron SPRING AmusnNe-Roos orwnenmerscfnrs.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 729,207, dated May 26, .1903. applicati-0n and March 19, 1902. seen No. 98,885; on man.)

To a/Z whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, FRANK MULLIQAN, of Chicago, Vin the county of Cook and State of Illinois, h'ave invented certain new and useful 'Improvements in Mountingsfor the Spring Adjusting-Rods of Weighing-Scales; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clean-and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speciiication.

This invention relates to that class of weighing-scales in which the downward movement of the scale-pan under the influence of lhe load is resisted by a coiled spring-such, for example, as the scale shown in the Gilfillan patent, No. 561,309, of June 2, 189 In scales of this general class it has been cund that the repeated use of the device, and particularly the sudden movement of the scalepan, due to the dropping, accidentally or otherwise, of a'load t.l1ere0n,tends to loosen the connection of the tension-spring and to disturb the adjustment thereof.

The obj'ect, therefore, of this invention is to provide means for holding the adjustingrod Iby Awhich the spring is usually secured at one end'in psition with respect to theA frame of the scale and by 'such means that sudden jars wilLnot disturb the adjustment, while at the same time providing means whereby the rod will be yieldingly held in order that the adjustment 0l the tensionspring may be changed whenever desired.

To these ends the invention consists in the matters and things shown in the drawings and hereinafter" described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva- `tion of a spring balance or scale with my improveniente attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a 'plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the spring and adjusting device. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the spring-washer and the upper portieri of the adj usting-rod.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

The scale of the Gilfillan type herein illustrated and to which my, improvement is shown as applied has a frame comprising' a and rear members A' A", respectively, which upright members'are connected together by horizontal or upper members As A3. The top members A3 A3 of the frame are strengthcned usually by transversev bars or plates B B', a central vertical opening-through the plate B''being arranged to permit the passage of an adj listing-screw, as hereinafterspecifled.

C represents a graduated scale-plate conveniently securedupon the front of the up right front member A' and provided with a central vertically-arranged slotor opening c. 4 D is an index rod or bar provided on one end with a pointerd and secured at its other end tg the fr'ee end-of an arm E. Said arm E is pivotally secu-red to the rear upright A2 of the frame and at or4 n ear its forward end standard or stem F.

of the scale-pau stem F is held' i'n proper posi- `tion by being pivotally secured to the free end of a bar or arm E',arranged in parallel position with the arm E and which is similarly pivoted at its rear end to the rear upright A2 of the frame.' The lower end of the scalepan stem F is provided with a lateral extension or arm f', to which the lower end g of thc'spring G is secured. The upper end of the spring is adjustahl'y secured to the top ssv or horizontal memberof the frame A by means shown in the drawings, as.. follows: The flat plate or uut H; centrally apertured and interiorly screw-threaded, is secured between the conv'olutions of the spring G, near the upperend thereof, as shown in Fig. 3. This nut receives the lower end of an adjusting-rod I, which is passed through a suitable aperture in the' cross-piece B of the frame, the Aupper part of the adj usting-rod being plain and not screw-threaded. The upper end of said adj usting-rod I is provided with a knurled head i, so arranged at its lower portion as to form a shoulder or flange i', that rests directly upon the flat top of the plate B of the frame.

ed to receive a spring-Washer J, which is con` cavo-convex in cross-section, as clearly shown At a suitable distance below g rthe shoulder z" is an annular groove i', adapt- IOC! . 7o f represents the scale-pan. The upper end rod I and Aspring in Figs. 3 and 4. The washer J is provided with a central aperture and also with a radial Slot/j, extending from the margin to said central aperture; the width of the slot .being such as to permit of itsgbeing put over the stem or adjusting-rod I to engage said annular groove i?.

I n assembling the parts. the adj usting-rod I is passed down through the aperture in the top member B of the frame and is engaged with the nut-plate H at the upper end of the spring G, which 'is then adjusted practically to'it-s desired tension by turning said rod so as to bring the index-finger'd to the proper position on the scale-plate C. convex washer J is then pressed into position between the lower surface of the cross-plate B and the shoulder grooves :i2 of the adjusting-rod I. When in this position, the spring-washer naturally attens out quite a hit, as is shown. in Fig. 3, and holds the rod 'I firmly clamped to the frame top 'plate to resist any tendency of the rod Ito turn; and thus change the adjustment. The tension of the spring-washer, however, is not such as to prevent adjustment or correction of the adjustment ofthe G, if necessary; but it is shicient to prevent ,all accidental displacement due to the sudden dropping of a load upon the sealepan. In other words, it completely ohviates the objection heretofore existing in this class of devices. My washer is a new article and will be claimed as such.

While I have shown simply as a matterot` convenience my improvements applied t0 a scale of the Giliillan type, as stated, it will be manifest that it is equally adapted for use upon other styles and .makes of scales.

lVhat I claim, and desire to secure byLctters Patent, is as follows:

The concavo- 113, formed by the annular' 1. As a new article of manufacture, a thin,

sheet, spring-metal Washer, spherically concavo'convex and provided with a central aperture and with a slot extending radially from said aperture to the margin of said washer. 2. As a new article of manufacture, a thin sheet-metal spring-washer, having a curved or annular margin, al1 parts of which are'1ocated in the same plane, said washergbeing;r

with a' central aperture and with a. slot extending radially from .said aperture to the margin ofthe Washer.

3. In a spring-balanced weighing-scale, the spring adj ustiug-rod, provided with a sho-uh der adapted to engage one side of the frame and with an annular groove near said shoulder combined with a concave-convex springwasher adapted for engagement with said groove and with the under surface of the scale-frame, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

.,-concavo-eonvex in cross-section and provided 4. In a spring-balanced weighing-scale, the

combination with the adj usting-rod provided with an inwardly-facing shoulder adapted to engage one side of the frameand with an opposing or outwardly-facing shoulder inside said frame, of aconcavo-convex spring-washer surrounding said rod between said outwardlyfacing shoulder-and the frame and acting on said shoulders of the -rod and the frame'to hold the rod from displacement.

In testimonythat I claim the foregoingas my invention Iafx mysignature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 10th day of March, .4.11.1902, A FRANK -MULLIGAN Witnesses:

LILLIAN KURTZ, .RAY E. GODDARD. 

